What can we learn from all of this?
The GOP is dead. If you think that’s hyperbole or you think I am making that up we should heed the words of Donald Trump Jr. Obviously the name still exists. People will carry the title in the halls of Congress, state legislatures, school boards, and city councils. Still, make no mistake. It is very much dead.
Listen long enough to the kid’s thoughts you get the idea that they think this is a good thing. In addition to the takeover of the RNC, there have been whispers that he wants to drive all non-MAGA Republicans out of the party. I’m not sure what that makes the Republican party because the platform has become the man. I’m not exactly certain what that means because he doesn’t know what it means.
This is not really new ground, but should be the backdrop of where we should go from here. Yes, he absolutely needs to be defeated and possibly thrown in jail. I say possibly because I just don’t see it happening. Some people have the knack for avoiding responsibility. Maybe everything catches up with him if he loses in November.
The question is what to do after that. What have we learned? Can the GOP be rebuilt or will a new center-right party emerge in its ashes? Either way, all of us should reckon with how an evil and unfit man could advance that far in American politics. Sure, Democrats can call this a Republican problem but it is really an American one. If a similar charismatic leader that promised victory and power emerged on the left could the Democrats resist them if he or she were unfit?
We must contend with a few inconvenient facts. The main one is that the last eight or nine years has made us collectively worse. There can be no denying this. We have become a more hateful people. Whether we hate him or the people that he hates, we are a more hateful people. A large part of this is owning our own role in this cycle of hate.
I see it on social media as I offer my opinion on my public wall and see it devolve into a pissing match between liberals and conservatives. I am either wittingly or unwittingly egging this on by commenting in the first place. Even though my words haven’t been hateful, a small part of me responds in glee when I see my friends roast someone I don’t agree with.
Are they really horrible people or do we just have a difference of opinion? The answer is not so simple. I think the words, deeds, and aura of this man has brought the worst out in people. Those feelings were always there. Those opinions were always there. He just made it okay. People that do and say horrible things are at least on the road to being horrible . There is always redemption and there is always forgiveness, but we also have to be very honest about what we are dealing with.
Yet, there are also folks that are good and decent people that simply hold conservative viewpoints. There are good and decent people that hold liberal or progressive viewpoints. The way through the fog is identifying the difference. Can we identify decency in those we disagree with? In some cases that decency simply is not there. We cannot allow indecent people anywhere near leadership. It is not fair to say that conservative people are all indecent, but it seems like a majority of indecent people are conservative. It will take all of us to get this ship back in order. We have to realize that decency is more important than party.
What does conservative, liberal, socialist, etc. mean? Is everyone on the same page in using these terms? If not, how can this be dealt with? Once a definition is settled upon, can they be mixed to describe a person more accurately? Or is this an impossible task given certain people have an agenda to purposely mislead?
1I am not worried about the people who hold conservative viewpoints.
I am worried about the people who, though they call themselves conservatives, hold totalitarian viewpoints. As in, “Russia, do whatever the hell you want” to our NATO allies.
2Thanks NC for wordsmithing violent/evil and novel matters (to us Boomers anyway). We can talk about hate better now but why do we need to?
I worry about Americans who are severely undereducated, unaware of consequences, buying guns and mindlessly hating. The scariest pictures we can ever see now are militia-types carrying AK’s into polling places. Any where.
P.S. What are Putin’s people up to?
3When Trump does you hate, he was a little bit. After all, greed and hate are the core values of the first GOP.
4Republicanism is not dead, it just smells funny. It is a poisonous blend of Corporate Greed/Power, White Entitlement, and Religious Extremism. ‘You cannot fix a problem correctly until you know what the problem is’ and Trump is exposing the rotten core of Republicanism that is destroying our Democracy. Had to happen sooner or later and I’m hoping for a limit of chaos and violence in correcting the enormous problem.
By chance I started paying attention to Politics 20 years ago and as an outsider, I easily aligned with Liberals. Why, because it became abundantly clear Republicans lied, cheated, and were full of fear and hate.
Proof? Remember the King of Hate Radio, Rush Limbaugh, was the “Voice of Conservatism”.
Why Trump?
5For 30 years now Fox ‘Lie and Blame the Democrats’ News promotes, encourages and supports right wing Hate every hour of the day 24/7. We are witnessing a whole generation brought up on right wing hate and fear. And I could see years ago that someone like Trump would be the logical progression of Conservative Hate. It seemed unavoidable as they control the MSM, the Courts, and have enormous power, influence and wealth in our Government, Corporations and Institutions. But I see hope in the many more that are willing to support, encourage, and promote, love, kindness, understanding and right human relations in all that we meet.
So thank you JJ, Nick, El Jefe and all the wonderful people on this incredible site!!! Never lose hope…
Lex, the repugnantican party doesn’t just smell funny, it smells rotten like slimy dead fish on a warm day. And since the repugnantican party is now trumpf, we have this threat-
6https://apple.news/ALp-CiWiwQqmv2fw9CgOlCA
Steve from Beaverton @6 Yup they are that rotten and they are unmistakably domestic terrorists. Thanks for link!
7And the head of the repugnantican snake sent a message to the supremes on his “truth” social that he must have total immunity for anything bad that happens because of his call for violence. That’s what presidents and former president should be able to do. I hope he’s taken his rhetoric too far even for them, but the supremes will probably want another delay to ponder this. They need more federalist society input. If I sound cynical, maybe I am, but it’s from experience the last 8 years.
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